Controversial plans for a clay pigeon shooting range at Crieff Hydro have been narrowly approved by a single vote.
Perth and Kinross Council's Planning and Placemaking Committee met on Thursday, September 22 to consider the application.
The plans attracted 73 objections from the local community with a further 40 submitted following the deadline due to a large number of residents on the neighbouring Hosh and Monzie Estate not being consulted.
The plans - partly in retrospect - to develop part of a site 1.3km north of the main hotel building into a clay pigeon shooting range attracted a lot of opposition from local residents and Glenturret Distillery. The range has already been created with a bund formed on three sides north of the site and a rough track to the south. A shooting hut has been erected on the east.
A previous similar application from the hotel was withdrawn following requests from PKC's Environmental Health team for more information. The new application included an updated noise report and "enhanced" noise mitigation measures.
Several residents attended Thursday's meeting to voice their objections to the committee.
Mr Percival - a resident 700 metres away at the Hosh - told councillors of recently being able to clearly hear music from Crieff Hydro's Action Glen in his garden.
He said: "I took a walk round there and was very surprised as what I found was a single speaker turned away. It was moderately noisy but not desperately so. Nobody would consider that an unreasonable volume to be playing music. However, despite it pointing away from the Hosh and us being 700 metres away, in our garden that was very very distinctively audible with a very very irritating thump thump thump bass note."
"My point is even quite modest noises from Action Glen are very audible in the Hosh."
Ms Crichton - who runs the Monzie Estate - told councillors their boundary was 10 metres away from the shooting hut. She said she was "absolutely astounded" the plans had been recommended for approval by PKC's environmental health and planning officers.
She said when there was previously clay pigeon shooting at the hotel it caused "immense distress" to her family, neighbours and holiday guests.
She challenged councillors: "We are talking about guns here - not lasers or anything else. Guns are dangerous weapons and the guns could cause a fatality. Is putting a shooting range next to an archery range, a children's play area and several core paths a good idea? Would you take responsibility if there is a tragedy?"
Addressing the committee, the hotel's general manager Kristian Campbell said: "This activity would bring in some very needed extra revenue. The hotel - as many hotels and businesses have - has struggled over the past few years with closures and restrictions. We are willing to work within the guidelines and with something that works for everybody."
This brought loud guffaws from objecting residents who were sitting in the chambers.
Cllr David Illingworth asked if the nearby core paths would be in the line of fire.
Mr Campbell assured the councillor of mitigations and risk assessments and pointed to the extra planning condition to put up signage.
He added: "We've changed the shooting direction so we don't shoot across anything or into any areas."
Mr Campbell said the shooting would be instructor-led by trained members of staff with the hotel supplying the guns and ammunition.
The shooting range would be able to operate around 200 days a year from 10am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am – 5pm on a Sunday. The hotel's manager said it was "unrealistic" they would fill all these hours.
He told councillors: "This is something we would run once or twice a day. One instructor, three guns with a maximum of six people."
Conservative councillor Bob Brawn moved for a temporary approval for three years. Conservative councillor Crawford Reid said he was happy to second "the very sensible suggestion giving both parties time to assess the situation".
Independent councillor Dave Cuthbert moved to refuse the application.
He said: "A noise like this is unnecessary and if you are living in the countryside it has far more impact on residents because it is a quieter environment it is being introduced to".
He was not satisfied the impact of noise pollution had been satisfactorily demonstrated. This was seconded by Labour councillor Brian Leishman.
Cllr Brawn's motion for temporary approval was granted by seven votes to six.
The plans were approved subject to several conditions including the bund being increased in height by 1.5 metres and absorptive acoustic tiles fitted to the internal side walls and internal roof of the shooting hut.
